Speed regulator and compensator for motors.



Patented Aug. l4, I900.

No. 655,8I5.

A. VERNAZ. SPEED REGULATOR AND COMPENSATOR FOR MOTORS.

(Application filed July 28, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATIENT Germs.

ALEXIS VERNAZ, or STE. CROIX, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO MEEMOD FRFRES, or SAMEIPLAOE.

SPEED REGULATOR AND COMPENSATOR FOR MOTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,815, dated August 14., 1900.

A plication filed July as, 1898.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXIS VERNAZ, a citizen of France, residing at Ste. OroiX, canton of Vaud, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed Regw, lators and Compensators for Motors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

- My invention relates, primarily,to improvements in automatic musical instruments, and in general to a speed regulator and compensator for motor that may be used therewith.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and effective means for varying, regulating, and controlling the speed of a musical instrument.

My invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view with part of the mechanism in a slightly'changed position. Fig. 8 is an. end elevation of a detail, and Fig. A is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 3.

In the drawings I have only shown such portions of the driving mechanism (such as employed in musical boxes) as are necessary to clearly enable my improved construction to be understood.

A is a drum which houses the mainspring (not shown) for operating the gear-wheel A, which latter meshes with a pinion B. The pinion B carries an enlarged gear-wheel B, which meshes with another pinion O. This pinion O carries a somewhat-enlarged gearwheel 0, which meshes with an endless screw D on a rotatable shaft D.

E is a cross-head mounted upon the shaftD.

F F are levers pivotally carried at the free ends of said cross-head, each of said levers being mounted, preferably, at a point intermediate of its length, so that one end will be preferably heavier than the opposite end. At preferably the lighter ends of these levers are yielding contact-pieces G G. At the opposite ends of these levers light springs f f are connected, which springs are also connected to the aforesaid cross-head.

H is a friction-wheel having by preference a broad beveled edge adapted to substantially aline with the inner adjacent surfaces of the contact-pieces G G. This wheel H is adapted Serial No. 687,11 '7. (N0 model.)

to be moved longitudinally in line with the shaft D, although not rotated thereby. To afford this longitudinal movement of the wheel H,various means maybe devised ,among them that shown in the drawings, in which h is a hub having an inclined or beveled-end adapted to bear against an oppositely-inclined stationary shoulder I, so that when said wheel H is rotated the inclined surfaces of its hub h and shoulder I will rub and cause the wheel H to be forced ahead. A suitable handle H may be provided to rotate said wheel H and advance or retract the same as desired. As the wheel H advances toward the cross-head E it serves as a wedge to spread apart, as shown in Fig. 1, the adjacent ends of the lever-arms F F until the frictional engagement between the contact-pieces G G and the part II is sufficient to stop the rotatory move ment of the crosshead. In stopping this rotation the springs ff are useful as serving to check the inward swing of the rear ends of the arms F F, thus affording the required resistance between the part H and the contactpieces Gr.

When the mainspring in the drum is wound, its power is reduced by the series of gears heretofore described until it gently bears through the medium of the wheel 0 against the endless screw D, causing the latter to rotate. As soon as the shaft is rotating with sufficient speed the heavier or rear ends of the lever-arms will by centrifugal force spread outwardly and cause the contact-pieces G to bear against the friction-wheel H. A suitable spring h may be provided to aid in returning the wheel H to its retracted position. When the wheel H is in its most retracted position, the speed of the shaft D is greatest. By gradually advancing the wheel H the frictional contact is correspondingly increased and the levers F tilted, so that the circle in which the rear ends of said leverarms will travel will be somewhat reduced. Thus this forward movement of the wheel will gradually check the speed of the shaft. By this means it is possible to manually control the speed of the instrument, and thus by intelligent use materially add to the pleasing rendering of the tune being produced.

In musical boxes in which perforated notedisks are employed the spaces between the note-perforations therein for. a lengthy musical composition are of necessity much shorter than the spaces between the note-perforations of a shorter musical composition. Hence unless a means is provided whereby the speed of the machine may be varied the tempo of the longer musical co m position will be much faster than the shorter musical composition. In such cases it will be seen, therefore, that the mechanism herein described for varying the speed is of the greatest value, as the correct tempo may be obtained by the manipu lation of the regulator. Further, this device also acts as a compensating means to cause the motor to operate at a uniform speed in spite of the gradual weakening of the mainspring as it unwinds.

In musical boxes it is customaryto provide a motor substantially like that described,and as the connection between the parts already described and parts employed for rotating a music-box cylinder or disk is so Well known no further description or illustration is deemed necessary.

It will be understood that certain changes or alterations in the specific construction of the details of this device may be varied without departing from the spirit. and scope of the invention.

What I claim is- 1. In combination a rotatable shaft, a lever carried thereby, part thereof adapted to move outwardly from its position of rest by cent-rifugal force when said shaft is rotated, a spring to oppose the motion of said part inwardly from its position of rest, a contact part carried by said lever, and a friction device movable into the path of movement of said contact part, and means to adjust said friction device toward and from said contact part.

2. In combination, a rotatable shaft, a lever carried thereby and pivoted between its ends and adapted to move from its position of rest by centrifugal force when said shaft is ro tated, a contact part at the lighter end of said lever, resilient means to oppose the motion of said lever in either direction from its position of rest and a friction device longitudinally movable into the path of movement of said contact part.

8. In combination a rotatable shaft, a lever carried thereby, part thereof adapted to move outwardly from its position of rest by centrifugal force when said shaft is rotated, a contact part carried by the lighter arm of said lever, resilient means to oppose the motion of said lever in either direction from its position of rest, and a friction device longitudinally movable into the path of movement of said.

contact part.

4:. In combination a rotatable shaft, a lever carried thereby, part thereof adapted to move outwardly from its position of rest by centrifugal force when said shaft is rotated, a contact part on said lever, a spring to oppose the motion of said contact part outwardly from its position of rest, and a friction device mov able toward said contact part to engage the same.

5. In combination a rotatable shaft, a lever carried thereby, part thereof movable outwardly from its position of rest by centrifugal force when said shaft is rotated, a contact part on said lever, a spring to oppose the motion of said contact part inwardly from its position of rest, and a friction device movable toward said contact part and engaging the same at said contact parts position of rest.

Signed at Geneva, Switzerland, this 7th day of July, 1898.

ALEXIS VERNAZ.

Witnesses:

BENJ. H. RIDGELY, E. F. BARRY. 

